Precision immunotherapy and personalized t-cell vaccines are predicted to become nearly 33% of the IO therapy market and AntigenID™ is expected to further solidify CGI’s position in personalized cancer treatment.

CGI’s AntigenID™ helps in the precise identification of the right set of neoantigens that are potent, and will generate a robust immune response to fight and kill the tumor cells – creating this immune response, at a personalized level, is the cornerstone to personalized immune therapy.

RUTHERFORD, N.J., Oct. 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cancer Genetics, Inc. (Nasdaq:CGIX) (“CGI” or “The Company”), a leader in enabling precision medicine for oncology through molecular markers and diagnostics, announced today the launch of its neoantigen discovery service offering, AntigenID™, based on neoantigen identification technology utilizing unique and comprehensive sequencing combinations and sophisticated bioinformatics algorithms and computational workflows. The accurate identification of neoantigens, cancer markers that are unique to an individual’s tumor, has become an emerging area of immuno-oncology (IO) believed to be critical in the development of personalized cancer immunotherapy and predicting potential response to existing immune-oncology therapies.

“We are pleased to be able to broaden our precision medicine offerings to support personalized and targeted immune therapies,” said Panna Sharma, President and CEO of CGI. “The identification of a patient’s unique repertoire of cancer antigens holds great potential for the success of IO therapies and we have focused our efforts on building a comprehensive immuno-oncology testing portfolio and service offerings for use in clinical trials, translational research, and therapy selection. We believe adding a neoantigen discovery service was the logical next step in helping personalized therapies become a reality for cancer patients and we look forward to future collaborations that will apply the discoveries made possible with neoantigen identification platform, AntigenID™.”

Recent studies show that the manipulation of neoantigens used alone or in combination with other immunotherapies could prove to be an important therapeutic tool to reduce and control cancer. There are currently over 50 clinical trials and studies involving neoantigen identification as a core component, with many distinctly geared towards developing personalized neoantigen-based cancer vaccines. According to industry analysts, these therapies and combinations will help drive a future predicted global cancer immunotherapy market of close to USD 200 Billion by 2021 (from USD 61.97 Billion in 2016). [1]

Harnessing the patient’s own immune system to eradicate malignant cancer cells is becoming the most powerful new approach to cancer therapy, and CGI’s AntigenID™ will be available to help power clinical studies and trials while also helping in early discovery to identify the most promising compounds and combinations. FDA approval of the immunotherapy-based drugs, including checkpoint inhibitors, for the treatment of multiple types of cancers, has greatly advanced research and clinical studies in the field of cancer immunotherapy. Despite the great success of checkpoint blockade therapy, many patients fail to respond to this approach and require a more personalized approach. This personalized approach can be identified by CGI’s AntigenID™through a combination of massively parallel genomic, immune marker and transcriptome profiling along with state-of-the-art bioinformatics.

The present-day revolution in oncology therapy and patient management is emerging to advances in sequencing and bioinformatics that have developed a more comprehensive picture of the immune response and mechanisms to cancer. CGI’s AntigenID™ has the potential to play a pivotal role in both drug discovery and therapy development and also in the clinical setting by both predicting and monitoring the effect of personalized therapy on the patient. This sophisticated understanding of the interaction between the tumor and host immune system enhances our ability to identify relevant tumor-specific antigens, and therefore predict the host immune response both before and after exposure to immune therapies.

Rita Shaknovich, MD, Ph.D., CGI's Chief Medical Officer and Group Medical Director, added, "Next generation sequencing enabled rapid profiling of somatic mutations and predicting which neo-epitopes can provide therapeutic benefit. It is one of the most exciting discoveries in the field of oncology in the last decade and we are eager to offer a commercial approach and platform that enables a truly personalized approach to treatment that harnesses powers of each patient’s immune system."

AntigenIDTM offers an extremely comprehensive approach to neoantigen discovery and identification as it utilizes genomic and transcriptomic profiles of matched patient samples, involves HLA typing, as well as sophisticated bioinformatics workflow which integrates different pipelines. This unique offering expands CGI’s portfolio of immuno-oncology services and technologies, reinforcing CGI as a precision oncology leader and a partner of choice to power the development of personalized IO drugs and products for pharmaceutical and biotech companies.

ABOUT CANCER GENETICS Cancer Genetics Inc. is a leader in enabling precision medicine in oncology from bench to bedside through the use of oncology biomarkers and molecular testing. CGI is developing a global footprint with locations in the US, India and China. We have established strong clinical research collaborations with major cancer centers such as Memorial Sloan Kettering, The Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic, Keck School of Medicine at USC and the National Cancer Institute.

The Company offers a comprehensive range of laboratory services that provide critical genomic and biomarker information. Its state-of-the-art reference labs are CLIA-certified and CAP-accredited in the US and have licensure from several states including New York State.

Forward-Looking Statements: This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements pertaining to Cancer Genetics Inc.’s expectations regarding the completion, timing, pricing and size of the offering described in this press release constitute forward-looking statements.

Any statements that are not historical fact (including, but not limited to, statements that contain words such as “will,” “believes,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “expects,” “estimates”) should also be considered to be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, risks inherent in the development and/or commercialization of potential products, risks of cancellation of customer contracts or discontinuance of trials, risks that anticipated benefits from acquisitions will not be realized, uncertainty in the results of clinical trials or regulatory approvals, need and ability to obtain future capital, maintenance of intellectual property rights and other risks discussed in the Cancer Genetics, Inc. Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 along with other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof. Cancer Genetics, Inc. disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

PharmiWeb.com is Europe's leading industry-sponsored portal for the Pharmaceutical sector, providing the latest jobs, news, features and events listings.
The information provided on PharmiWeb.com is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a patient/site visitor and his/her
physician.